Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency (Robert Brown, Sharene Martin-Brown)

[bbth]

Did anybody have any bad experience with this agency?
I saw them at preditors and editors.
Couldn't find any bad information . They requested to read whole ms. I thought to take an advice before sending.
Thanks

 

[Chesher Cat]

They are listed on Writer's Market so they should be legit. But they are located in Indiana, not NYC. Specialize in children's books. They have a website:
http://www.wylie-merrick.com/
It is strange that they don't list any of their sales on their website.

These sales were listed on the Writer's Market:

[font=verdana,arial][font=verdana,arial]How I Fell in Love and Learned to Shoot Free Throws, by Jon Ripslinger (Roaring Brook); Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid, by Varian Johnson; Death for Dessert, by Dawn Richard; Secret War, by Regina Silsby.

You might want to google these.

Can't hurt to send them your manuscript - you can always say no to them if you don't like whatr they have to say later.
Good Luck!
[/font][/font]

 

[CaitlinK18]

They are listed on Writer's Market so they should be legit. [font=verdana,arial][font=verdana,arial][/font][/font]

Just a tiny interjection...being listed in Writer's Market isn't a 100% scam-free guarantee. But yes, it does mean they are most likely legit.

That's great they requested your MS! Good luck!

 

[bbth]

thank you

thank you for your replies ,I appreciate it. Thanks again and good luck

 

[CaoPaux]

Coming in late, sorry. This may be of interest, though:
http://www.writers.net/forum/read/10/124839/124839

 

[victoriastrauss]

Wylie-Merrick is a small agency that has been in business for a few years now, and is still building its track record (it has a small number of sales to independent publishers--none, as yet, to major houses). Previously, it required clients to reimburse submission costs on an ongoing basis, but it recently switched to the more standard practice of letting such costs accrue, and deducting them from the writer's advance in the event of a sale.

However, at the moment it's offering "evaluative critiques" to submitters for a fee of $50. The critique is optional, and the fee is returned if the submission is accepted for representation--but again, this is not standard practice among successful agents, who don't typically offer paid "adjunct" services to non-clients.

- Victoria

 

[jssaunders]

Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency

I'm looking for info on Wylie-Merrick... Has anyone heard anything good/bad about them?
Thanks.

 

[waylander]

Totally legit, good agency

 

[The Scribbler]

I'm looking for info on Wylie-Merrick... Has anyone heard anything good/bad about them?
Thanks.

They are legit but I have seen some info on fees that they charge.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pealw.htm

http://www.wylie-merrick.com/

Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency: $ "A literary agency specializing in fine fiction and non-fiction. For an up-to-date current needs list, submissions guidelines, and information about us, please see our Web site."

 

[victoriastrauss]

Wylie-Merrick has what appears to be a smallish track record of sales, mostly to publishers that don't require writers to be agented. They were also at one pont offering a critique service--you sent $50 with your submission, and if you were rejected you got an "evaluative critique". I don't see any mention of this on their blog, though, so they may have discontinued it.

- Victoria

 

[Branwyn]

wylie-merrick agent lead

This agency is looking for dark/suspense thrillers. FYI

 

[RoccoMom]

Has anyone had any dealings with them?

 

[Branwyn]

I dealt with Robert Brown from WM. He is a member of AAR.

I didn't get too far with the agency, just the first 3 chaps.

 

[EmEllis]

Wylie-Merrick Literary

Hi - I found some older threads about Wylie-Merrick, but I'm wondering if anyone has any recent information about them. They've made some sales to Flux, Bridge Works & Black Coral, but I don't know if these are publishers that don't really need an agent to approach. Preds and Eds gives them a "recommend" and they are AAR members. Thanks Much!

 

[Soccer Mom]

Wylie-Merrick is a very reputable agency. To my knowledge, they specialize in juvenile literature.

 

[Scrawler]

Anyone who has rejected me is legit, so I agree with Soccer Mom.

I got a brief reply on a brief query: "This does not look like something we would be interest in. Thank you for your interest in our agency."
(Ooo, it still smarts when I reread it-- so cold! )

 

[JennaGlatzer]

Hi Em,

I merged your thread with this one.

NOTE TO ALL: Please, don't start new threads about anyone who's already been discussed here. Just post on the old thread and it'll get bumped right up to the top.

 

[aruna]

Not to be confused, BTW with The Wylie Agency, which is one the very most prestigious. Andrew Wylie of that agency is a real biggie, repping people like Salman Rushdie. He poached Martin Amis from his British agent and got him a huge six figure advance, one of the biggest ever.

An interesting interview with him:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,1092002,00.html

 

[K-Mark]

Robert Brown blogs on the agency website, so that may help you see what they are looking for.

I had a mini-email dialogue with him a little while ago and he was very helpful

 

[Marlys]

I've been with Sharene Martin at Wylie-Merrick for two years now, with no complaints. She told me upfront that my book, a gay historical romance, would be a tough sell. Nevertheless, she got it read at a couple of the big houses, so it's not like Wylie-Merrick can't get the attention of the major publishers.

In my case, I think that we ended up at a small publisher was more due to the quirkiness of my book, and I'm grateful Sharene stuck with it. Oh, and I was more than happy to have someone more knowledgeable than myself negotiate my contracts--personally, I think I'd be lousy at that, but your experience may vary.

 

[maddythemad]

I got a brief reply on a brief query: "This does not look like something we would be interest in. Thank you for your interest in our agency." (Ooo, it still smarts when I reread it-- so cold! )

Hey Scrawler, rejection is tough. I have gotten more rejection letters than... well, something there is a lot of. But still, as it goes, saying "This does not look like something we would be interested in," is definitely on the kinder side. When my dad sent out his novel (now published, briefly on the bestsellers' list) an agent early on told him that he should basically rewrite the entire book and turn it into something completely different because it "didn't work" the way it was.

All I'm saying is: Don't give up hope. The right agent will come along who is totally in love with your book, and it won't matter what all the other agents said. Good luck!

~ maddythemad

 

[K-Mark]

Rejection is tough. Don't give up hope. The right agent will come along who is totally in love with your book, and it won't matter what all the other agents said. Good luck!

Needed to hear that. Thanks. Your timing is impeccable

 

[Carmy]

Any new information on this agency? They are clsoed to queries until January 8, 2007.

Thanks for the link CaoPaux, it made interesting reading.

The agency has in interesting blog site at: http://www.wyliemerrick.blogspot.com/

 

[AnnMB]

I recently met Robert Brown and Sharene Martin-Brown at the Florida Writers Assoc. annual conference. They are very nice people and savvy agents who believe in honest, personal representation. They are quite happy to answer questions and share information, and their blog attests to that fact. The fact that they are not in NYC should not dissuade anyone from querying--they have many excellent contacts, and the experience to find the right publisher for the right book. They are also one of the few agents around willing to take on an unpublished writer if they feel the novel has merit and matches the needs of the market.